Contesting 40 seats in Kashmir, 20 in Jammu
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Aug 24: Acknowledging the lessons learnt during the Lok Sabha elections, Apni Party chief and former Minister, Altaf Bukhari today announced that his party won’t join any alliance for the Assembly elections.
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Speaking to the media after canvassing in the Chanapora constituency, wherefrom he is set to contest, Bukhari said that the party will field candidates in only 60 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.
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“We are not going to be a part of any alliance; we will not seek support from anyone, nor will we support anyone during the upcoming Assembly elections in J&K. We are not aligned with any group,” he stated.
“We learned a big lesson during the Parliamentary elections: the people of J&K are not pleased with supporting or seeking support from anyone,” he added.
Bukhari emphasized that the public has witnessed “bloody alliances” in the past, referencing events from 1987 and subsequent alliances in J&K.
“People still remember 2016; those youngsters died, but the wounds are still fresh. These individuals cannot claim to represent the people today,” he asserted.
Regarding the number of seats the party will contest, Bukhari confirmed that the Apni Party will field candidates in 60 Assembly constituencies in J&K, with 40 in the Kashmir valley and 20 in the Jammu division.
Commenting on the NC-Congress pre-poll alliance, which took shape following the visits of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Bukhari remarked that there is more to it than meets the eye: “Some things are apparent, while others are hidden.”
He noted that the alliance is not just between the NC and Congress but essentially involves the NC, PDP, Congress, CPI (M), and BJP. “PDP has always been part of every alliance; she (Mehbooba Mufti) is a permanent pawn; what you see is not the whole truth,” he said.
When asked how he could claim the PDP to be part of the alliance when Congress leaders only met with NC’s Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, Bukhari responded, “There are meetings held during the day, and then there are meetings held at night. Only we have had the courage to meet people in broad daylight.”
During the canvassing in the Chanapora constituency, Bukhari urged people to come out on the poll day for the betterment and progress of J&K, especially their constituency, by voting in favor of the Apni Party. “I told them that we have always been with them, and the same will continue in the future as well,” he said.
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